MANY OF THE GREAT THINGS
that happen at The City University of New York begin at our city’s high schools, where students get prepared for the college experience and begin building a foundation for their careers. Fortunately, we live in a city with many wonderful schools so that New York students can begin the journeys that will help them achieve their dreams and take their places as important contributors to their communities and the city. There are few challenges more important or as rewarding.
At CUNY, we have spent a lot of time thinking about the new challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and making sure that we are always building on the remarkable record of achievement of our students. We know that the knowledge-based economy increasingly requires college diplomas for the most promising jobs, and that the highest quality diplomas make for outstanding careers. That’s why the University’s plan, Connected CUNY, is focused on the many initiatives we are launching to make sure city students are prepared for college and make a successful entry, provide significant student support and advising so that more students graduate from college on time, and connect students with the workplace through internships and experiential learning so that CUNY degrees lead to enriching jobs.
CUNY, of course, has long been a national leader in providing access to a high-quality education, particularly for low-income and underrepresented New Yorkers and immigrants, and helping them not just earn degrees but win the most prestigious national honors. CUNY graduates have won 13 Nobel prizes, Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, dozens of Fulbrights and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships and more MacArthur “Genius” grants than any public university other than Berkeley. We have strengthened that mission and continue to nurture exceptional talent at each of our colleges, and we encourage all college-bound New Yorkers to look at the CUNY colleges that best fit their needs and ambitions. We open the doors of opportunity to many of New York’s most talented, creative and driven students. Those doors are now open wider than ever.
— James B. Milliken CHANCELLOR